Field effect transistor formed on an insulating substrate and integrated circuit thereof

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a field effect transistor formed on a semiconductor thin film formed on an insulating substrate, and to an integrated circuit thereof. Provided is a structure such that a maximum allowable voltage in an output voltage is improved and a bipolar transistor is attained. A field effect transistor according to the present invention employs a structure in which a body contact region is interposed between source regions in order to realize a higher maximum allowable voltage with a smaller area. In order to realize the bipolar transistor with an increased channel width without external wirings for fixing a body potential, a structure of a transistor is also formed in which a drain/source region, a first gate electrode, a portion where a body contact region is arranged with a second region having a first conductivity type, a second gate electrode, and a source/drain region are arranged. With the structure, a transistor capable of operating at both of positive and negative potentials with respect to a conventional body potential is provided.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a field effect transistor formed on a semiconductor thin film formed on an insulating substrate represented by SOI (silicon on insulator), polycrystalline silicon on a glass substrate, and SOS (silicon on sapphire), and to an integrated circuit thereof.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Conventionally, in a MOS field effect transistor (hereinafter, abbreviated to MOS transistor) formed on the SOI etc., if a silicon thin film portion called a body where a channel is formed is in a floating state, at the time of increasing a drain voltage, high electric field generated between a drain and the body causes a current to flow therebetween, so that the current flows into a source from the body. Due to this inflow of the current, the body and the source are subjected to a forward bias and a gate threshold voltage Vth of the MOS transistor is lowered. Further, this current is amplified through a parasitic bipolar transistor where the source is used as an emitter and the body is used as a base, and a current is further attained from the drain operating as a collector in the parasitic bipolar transistor. Through a positive feedback phenomenon like this, a drain current is abruptly increased at a certain drain voltage or higher, so that the MOS transistor using the body in a floating state is decreased in a withstand voltage. In addition, even in a range of the drain voltage lower than that causing an abrupt increase in the current, there causes an increase in an output conductance and adversely affects a voltage amplification factor of an analog circuit. A typical output current increase phenomenon is called a kink effect which exhibits such that the drain current is increased stepwise at 3 to 4 V in the voltage applied between the drain and the source.

[0005] For the purpose of improving the phenomenon, in order to fix the body at a constant potential, conventionally used are a T-type transistor structure as shown in a plan view of FIG. 1, an H-type transistor structure as shown in a plan view of FIG. 2, a source tie structure as shown in a plan view of FIG. 3, and an embedded body contact structure as shown in a sectional view of FIG. 4.

[0006] In the figures, reference numeral 111 denotes a drain region having a first conductivity type; 121, a source region having the first conductivity type; 131, a body contact region having a reverse conductivity type; and 400, a conductive gate region. Reference numerals 113, 123, 133, and 403 denote contact holes formed on the drain region, the source region, the body contact region, and the gate region, respectively. Through the contact holes, the respective regions are connected to metal thin film wirings 501, 502, 503, and 504, respectively. As shown in FIG. 4, below the gate region 400 between the drain region 111 and the source region 121, a gate insulating film 200 and a portion 100 corresponding to the body where the channel is formed are formed. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 10 denotes a supporting board; 102, a body embedded portion; 20, an insulating layer for allowing an insulation between the supporting board and a semiconductor thin film (consisting of the drain region 111, the source region 121, the body contact region 131, the portion 100, and the body embedded portion 102); 300, so-called field insulation films for isolating elements from each other; and 310, insulating layers for insulating the wirings and the semiconductor thin film from each other.

[0007] As shown in the T-type structure of FIG. 1 and the H-type structure of FIG. 2, the body portion is connected to the body contact region 131 through a portion below the gate region between the body contact region 131 and the source and drain regions. In these structures, the body contact region is arranged symmetrical to the source and the drain regions, which enables a so-called bipolar circuit operation where functions of the source and the drain interchange each other, On the contrary, in the source tie structure of FIG. 3 and the embedded body contact structure of FIG. 4, the source region and the body contact region are connected, which allows only a so-called unipolar circuit operation.

[0008] In both the T-type and H-type structures as described above, the body contact region is formed at an end portion in a gate width direction through the body below the gate. Also, in the source tie structure, the body contact region is formed at both ends of the source in the gate width direction.

[0009] Therefore, if a gate width W of the transistor is increased, in the T-type transistor, the body contact region and the farthest portion from the contact regions on the opposite side thereof become high in resistance, with the result that an effect due to the fixed body potential is weakened. Also in the H-type transistor and the source tie transistor, if the gate width W is increased, at a central portion of the gate, the effect due to the fixed body potential is weakened.

[0010] The embedded body contact structure is a structure such that a contact portion 130 and the body 100 below the gate are continuously arranged through a portion below a source 120, so that if a source junction part reaches a deep portion of the film, the body embedded portion 102 between the body contact region and the body below the gate is increased in resistance, with the result that the effect due to the fixed body potential is weakened. In the future, since a technique is advancing toward making the semiconductor thin film further thin, it is unavoidable that the resistance in the body embedded portion is increased.

[0011] Also in the above-mentioned T-type and H-type transistors, there has been a problem in terms of a circuit application. That is, the advantage that the bipolar circuit operation is possible is applicable only in a range of a so-called reverse polarity with respect to the body contact potential Therefore, once the potential of, for example, a p-type body is fixed, it is impossible for the source and the drain to operate securely at a negative potential with respect to the above potential (to be strict, at a negative potential exceeding the forward biased voltage in a pn junction).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances in a technical field, and therefore an object of the present invention is to provide a structure in which even if a gate width is increased, it is possible to control a decrease in a withstand voltage of a drain or an increase in an output conductance. Further, a source tie structure involves a unipolar operation, so that a circuit application with the source and the drain being interchanged is impossible. Another object of the present invention is to provide a structure for solving this problem as well.

[0013] Also in the T-type and the H-type transistors as described above in a circuit application, after a body contact potential is set, a potential at which the drain and the source operate securely is limited to a positive or negative potential with respect to the body contact potential. Still another object of the present invention is to eliminate this limitation on the polarity of the potential.

[0014] According to the present invention, a field effect transistor is formed on a semiconductor thin film formed on an insulating substrate by the following means.

[0015] According to a first means of the present invention, there is provided a field effect transistor formed on an insulating substrate, including at least:

[0016] an insulating substrate;

[0017] a semiconductor thin film formed on the insulating substrate;

[0018] a first gate electrode with a length and a width, which is formed on a surface of the semiconductor thin film through a gate insulating film;

[0019] a first region and a second region having a first conductivity type which are formed on or in the surface of the semiconductor thin film and arranged at both sides of the first gate electrode in a length direction thereof as viewed in a plan view;

[0020] third regions having a reverse conductivity type, which are each formed so that it is sandwiched between the two second regions in a gate width direction, the second regions including a plurality of regions; and

[0021] a conductive thin film connected with the second regions and the third regions in common.

[0022] According to a second means of the present invention, further in the field effect transistor formed on an insulating substrate, the third regions include a plurality of regions and one of the plurality of second regions is arranged so that it is sandwiched between the plurality of third regions in a gate width direction.

[0023] Here, in the structure according to the above-mentioned means of the present invention, the transistor is made unipolar.

[0024] According to a third means of the present invention, the field effect transistor formed on an insulating substrate further comprises: a second gate electrode with a length and a width, which is formed on the surface of the semiconductor thin film along the second regions through the gate insulating film; and a fourth region having the first conductivity type, which is formed on an opposite side of the second regions across the second gate electrode, the first and the fourth regions being set as an output region. The third means becomes a solving means for the above unipolar operation and makes a bipolar operation available. In this means, it is not required for each third region having a reverse conductivity type so that it is sandwiched between the second regions and it is enough for it to be arranged in parallel with the second regions in order to attain the bipolar operation.

[0025] According to a fourth means of the present invention, further in the field effect transistor formed on an insulating substrate, the first and the fourth regions are formed so as to have a portion with a relatively high impurity concentration (for example, impurity concentration of 10²⁰ atoms/cc or more) and a portion with a relatively low impurity concentration (for example, impurity concentration of about 10²⁰ to 10¹⁸ atoms/cc), the portion with a relatively low impurity concentration being arranged close to the gate electrode, i.e., being partially overlapped with the gate electrode through an insulating film.

[0026] Note that, in the present invention, the term insulating substrate refers to a substrate obtained by forming an insulating film such as a silicon oxide film or a silicon nitride film on the surface of the semiconductor substrate such as silicon, or an insulator substrate made of quartz glass, alumina, etc., or an insulating crystalline substrate made of sapphire etc. As for the formation of the semiconductor thin film, there are used a method of reducing a film thickness by performing polishing after bonding the semiconductor substrate to the insulating substrate, a method of peeling off a portion to be a thin film after bonding the semiconductor substrate to the insulating substrate, a method of allowing a hetero-epitaxial growth on the crystalline substrate made of sapphire etc., a method called SIMOX in which oxygen ions are implanted into the silicon substrate surface through ion implantation and heat treatment is then performed to form an oxide film and further a silicon thin film thereon, a method of forming a film on the insulating substrate by using a CVD, and the like.

[0027] According to the first means of the present invention, due to this structure, the third regions having a reverse conductivity type serve as a body contact region with a maximum distance therebetween being reduced to ½ of that in a conventional structure.

[0028] In both cases of a partial depletion type of the field effect transistor and a complete depletion type thereof, and even in a case where a semiconductor similar to “an intrinsic semiconductor” is used for the semiconductor thin film, the reverse conductivity type carriers generated due to a high electric field between the drain and the body are collected in the third regions having a reverse conductivity type, so that the object of the present invention is achieved.

[0029] According to the second means of the present invention, by using these structures repeatedly for arrangement in the gate width W direction, irrespective of a value of W, a MOS transistor can be obtained in which a breakdown voltage is maintained constant or a ratio of an output conductance to a transconductance is hardly changed.

[0030] According to the third means of the present invention, in a circuit operation, the potential is automatically changed to an optimum potential following a change in a polarity of the output voltage without any external supply and control of the body contact potential. Therefore, the conventional limitation on the body contact potential is eliminated, and it is possible to realize a bipolar transistor capable of a positive potential output and a negative potential output with respect to the conventional body contact potential in which the source and the drain are interchangeable.

[0031] In the conventional H-type and T-type transistors capable of a bipolar operation, a length in the W direction cannot be designed to be large because of limits determined considering a withstand voltage of the drain and the output conductance. According to the present invention, the length in the W direction can be made large as possible within a range allowable from a viewpoint of a chip area. Thus, in the transistor, on-resistance and transconductance can be each set to a value necessary for a circuit operation.

[0032] On the other hand, assuming that a plurality of conventional type transistors are arranged and wired in order to constitute a transistor with a large value of W, the H-type transistors are arranged, resulting in a complicated interconnection. Further, in order to obtain a transistor high in a withstand voltage or an output conductance, a value of w is not made large in one of the arranged units, with the result that an area of the gates at both ends and the contact region approximately corresponds to an area of a general transistor. Therefore, the transistor according to the structure of the present invention is advantageous in terms of a simple layout in which a complicated interconnection is eliminated.

[0033] Further, according to the structure of the present invention, one region serving as the source of the first region and the fourth region is biased forwardly with respect to the body. This causes no problem since the source is not used for determining the withstand voltage or the output conductance of this transistor. The minority carriers injected in the body from the source are absorbed in the second region in a floating state and thus the minority carriers hardly affect the body between the second region and the region serving as the drain.

[0034] The transistor of the present invention operates in such a manner that the channel (length: L1) below the first gate electrode and the channel (length: L2) below the second gate electrode are connected in series. Thus, the on-resistance per unit channel width (W) equals to (L1+L2)/L1 times and the output current becomes L1/(L1+L2), which are improved in the following cases.

[0035] As described above, when the source and the body are forwardly biased, the threshold voltage Vth of the channel close to the source and the body is lower than that on the drain side. Therefore, resistance in the channels connected in series to the source side is lower than that on the drain side. In particular, when a gate bias voltage approximates the threshold voltage Vth of the channel on the drain side, due to this phenomenon, the decrease of the drain current is improved. Also, in a case where a partial depletion type SOI is used and in addition, the output voltage is high, a voltage drop in the channel on the source side is clamped on the forward voltage of a diode between the source and the body, so that the output current value is improved also in this case.

[0036] According to the fourth means of the present invention, it is possible that a breakdown voltage in the output region is improved (the withstand voltage is increased).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] In the accompanying drawings:

[0038]FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a conventional T-type bipolar transistor;

[0039]FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a conventional H-type bipolar transistor;

[0040]FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an example of a conventional source tie type unipolar transistor;

[0041]FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an example of a conventional embedded body contact structure;

[0042]FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a bipolar transistor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043]FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A′ of FIG. 5 in accordance with the present invention;

[0044]FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line B-B′ of FIG. 5 in accordance with the present invention;

[0045]FIG. 8A shows output characteristics of the source tied type transistor, and FIG. 8B shows the output characteristics when a source of the source tie type transistor of FIG. 8A is used as an output terminal;

[0046]FIG. 9 shows output characteristics of the bipolar transistor of the present invention;

[0047]FIG. 10 shows output characteristics of a transistor in which a distance between third regions is 100 μm;

[0048]FIG. 11 shows the output characteristics of the transistor in which the distance between the third regions is 10 μm; and

[0049]FIG. 12 is a graph showing an experimental example for illustrating a relation between a maximum allowable voltage and the distance between the third regions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0050] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 shows a plan structural example of the present invention. FIGS. 6 and 7 show sectional structural examples thereof. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 110 denotes a first region having a first conductivity type; 120, second regions having the first conductivity type; 130, third regions having a reverse conductivity type; and 140, a fourth region having the first conductivity type. Reference numerals 401 and 402 denote first and second conductive gate electrodes. Denoted by 412 is a conductive thin film for connecting the first and second conductive electrodes, which is made of the same material as that for the conductive gate electrodes in this embodiment (for example, polycrystalline silicon, or a two-layer film consisting of tungsten silicide and the polycrystalline silicon or a two-layer film consisting of titanium silicide or cobalt silicide and the polycrystalline silicon), the film and the electrodes being arranged continuously. Reference numerals 114 and 144 denote portions with a low impurity concentration formed in the first and fourth regions and partially overlapped with the first and second conductive gate electrodes 401 and 402 through gate insulating films, respectively. Here, if it is not required for the first and fourth regions serving as output regions to withstand a high voltage, the portions 114 and 144 may be eliminated. Reference numerals 113, 123, 133, 143, and 403 respectively denote contact holes for the first, the second, the third, and the fourth regions, and the gate electrode, through which the respective regions and metal thin film wirings 511, 532, 514, and 504 are connected. The metal thin film wiring 532 connects the second and the third regions through the contact holes 123 and 133, but a potential is not fixed.

[0051]FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A′ of FIG. 5 in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line B-B′ of FIG. 5. In the figures, reference numeral 10 denotes a supporting board; 100, bodies; 200, gate insulating films; 20, insulating layers for allowing an insulation between the supporting board and a semiconductor thin film (consisting of the first region 110, (the portion 114), the second region 120, the third region 130, the fourth region 140, (the portion 144), and the bodies 100); 300, so-called field insulation films for isolating elements from each other; and 310, insulating layers for insulating the wirings and the semiconductor thin film from each other. The channel exists on the surface or in an inner portion of the body between the first and the second regions and on the surface or in an inner portion of the body between the second and the fourth regions. Through the gate insulating films on the bodies, a potential of the first and second gate electrodes is used for controlling electric resistance. As shown in FIG. 7, the bodies 100 are formed adjacent to a body contact region 130. The body contact region may be formed by using a semiconductor region in which an impurity (e.g., boron) having a reverse conductivity type is added at 1E19 atoms/cc or more and low resistance is attained. However, in the case where the body contact region performs a function of absorbing carriers having a reverse conductivity type or a function of controlling Fermi level thereof, the present invention can be implemented, so that the body contact region may be formed as a metal or silicide thin film partially contacting the body. In this case, it can be formed as a common region to the wiring 532 for the second region. Also, a different kind of semiconductor region which allows hetero junction with the body may be used.

[0052] The body may be of the reverse conductivity type, an intrinsic type, or the first conductivity type. In the case of the first conductivity type, it is preferable that, in order to obtain an enhancement type transistor, depletion is achieved over the front side of the body to the rear side thereof at 0V in a gate voltage.

[0053] A dimension of the third region in a gate width direction may be set to a minimum value available in a lithography technique. It is unnecessary to provide separately the contact holes for the second region and for the third region. The contact hole may be formed in a portion including the boundary between the second and the third regions in common.

[0054] Electric characteristics of the transistor in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention are compared with those of the transistor of the source tie structure shown in FIG. 3. Structures and material parameters used for measurement are as follows.

[0055] As for the body, the first, the second, the third, and the fourth regions of the transistor used in the same dimension and the impurity concentration and dimension w2 of the second region in a channel width direction is used without any change.

[0056] body: thickness=400 nm, conductivity type=p-type silicon, and impurity concentration=1E16 atoms/cm³

[0057] gate: n-type polysilicon, gate length: L1=10 μm and L2=5 μm, gate oxide film thickness=30 nm, and thickness of an insulating layer 20: 400 nm

[0058] impurity concentration of the first, the second, and the fourth regions: peak value to 1E20 atoms/cm³

[0059] impurity concentration of the third region; peak value to 5E19 atoms/cm³

[0060] length of the third region; 3 μm

[0061] impurity concentration in portions of the first and the fourth regions where the impurity concentration is low: 2.5E17 atoms/cm³, and length: 2 μm, and

[0062] w2=25 μm

[0063]FIGS. 8A and 8B show output characteristics of the conventional transistor of the source tie structure. FIG. 8A is a graph when the first region serves as a drain and the second region serves as a source, whereas FIG. 8B is a graph when the second region serves as the drain and the first region serves as the source. As indicated in the output characteristics of FIG. 8B, when the output voltage exceeds about 1V, the output current does not exhibit saturation current characteristics as in the conventional MOS transistor, but increases as the output voltage increases. From the characteristics obtained by the actual measurement, it is confirmed that in the transistor of the source tied structure, if the second region is used as the drain, it hardly withstands voltage.

[0064] On the other hand, FIG. 9 shows output characteristics of the transistor of the structure shown in FIG. 5 according to the present invention. The output characteristics are obtained when the first region serves as the drain and the fourth region serves as the source. However, even if the connection is performed such that they are interchanged with each other, the output characteristics hardly change. As compared with the output characteristics shown in FIG. 8A, in a portion where the gate voltage is high, the output current is decreased substantially corresponding to the increased channel length (L1/(L1+L2)). In a voltage range where the gate voltage approximates a gate threshold voltage, the decrease in the output current is improved.

[0065] Of the structures and the material parameters of the transistor, the gate length is set to 2 μm, the channel width in total is set to 100 μm, and only the value of w2 is changed. In this state, output current-output voltage characteristics of the transistor are examined. The characteristics when w2 is 100 μm are shown in FIG. 10 and the ones when w2 is 10 μm are shown in FIG. 11.

[0066] When the output voltage is increased while the gate voltage is fixed, a voltage at which an output conductance dIout/dVout is increased to equal to a channel conductance of the transistor is supposedly set as a maximum allowable voltage of the output voltage. This is shown by a graph of FIG. 12.

[0067] When w2 is 100 μm, the maximum allowable voltage is significantly decreased due to the kink effect as described above. The kink effect itself is observed at the output voltage of 4V+ΔV, so that when w2 is 100 μm, it can be observed that the maximum allowable voltage is improved to 5.4 V. Further, when w2 is 75 μm that is a value 50 times the channel length (about 1.5 μm), the kink effect is further relieved. Thus, in this state, the maximum allowable voltage is then affected largely by the following factors. This condition corresponds to the width of the second region which is equal to a value 25 times the channel length and expressed by 75/2=38 μm, when the third region is formed between the two second regions.

[0068] After the kink effect is relieved, a factor determining the maximum allowable voltage is then a degree to which minority carriers generated due to increase of the carriers in the drain-body junction are absorbed into the third region. As for the factor, it is confirmed that by setting the w2 to a value 10 times the channel length or less, the maximum allowable voltage can be significantly improved.

[0069] According to the structure of the present invention, the plural third regions are formed, whereby the generated minority carriers with the reverse polarity can be absorbed efficiently with a small distance w2 between the plural third regions. With this effect, it is possible to realize the increase in the maximum allowable voltage of the output voltage as in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0070] For achieving the same effect as above in the conventional bipolar transistor, the H-type structure is employed and the channel width is required to be about 10 times or less as large as the channel length in the above-mentioned example. This involves an overhead area of the H-type structure out of a negligible range in the end. In this case, the necessary current capacity is achieved by using repeatedly the unit structure for arrangement, As a result, the area is almost the same as in the general transistor and is rather disadvantageous by the complicated wirings to the body contact region in each unit H structure.

[0071] As an effect of the present invention further advantageous in the circuit application, the transistor can be formed such that the operation at both of the positive and the negative potentials with respect to the conventional body potential is possible. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A field effect transistor formed on an insulating substrate, comprising: an insulating substrate; a semiconductor thin film formed on the insulating substrate; a first gate electrode with a length and a width which is formed on a surface of the semiconductor thin film through a gate insulating film; a first region and a second region having a first conductivity type, which are formed on or in the surface of the semiconductor thin film, and arranged on both sides of the first gate electrode in a length direction thereof as viewed in a plan view; third regions having a reverse conductivity type opposing the first conductivity type, which are arranged in parallel with the second regions in a gate width direction; a conductive thin film connected with the second regions and the third regions in common; a second gate electrode with a length and a width, which is formed on the surface of the semiconductor thin film along the second regions through the gate insulating film; and a fourth region having the first conductivity type which is formed on an opposite side of the second regions with respect to the second gate electrode, one of the first and the fourth regions being used as an output region according to a circuit operation.
 2. A field effect transistor formed on an insulating substrate according to claim 1, wherein the second and the third regions comprise a plurality of regions, and one of the plurality of second regions is arranged so that it is sandwiched between the plurality of third regions in the gate width direction.
 3. A field effect transistor formed on an insulating substrate according to claim 2, wherein a distance between the respective third regions is set as 50 times a channel length or less.
 4. A field effect transistor formed on an insulating substrate according to claim 2, wherein a distance between the third regions is set as 10 times a channel length or less.
 5. A field effect transistor formed on an insulating substrate according to claim 1, wherein the first and the fourth regions each have a portion with a relatively low impurity concentration and a portion with a relatively high impurity concentration, the portion with a relatively low impurity concentration being arranged closer to the first or the second gate electrode than the portion with a relatively high impurity concentration.
 6. A field effect transistor formed on an insulating substrate according to claim 1, wherein the insulating substrate is made of an insulating material selected from the group consisting of: glass, sapphire, and ceramic.
 7. A field effect transistor formed on an insulating substrate according to claim 1, wherein the insulating substrate has an insulating film formed on a silicon substrate.
 8. A field effect transistor formed on an insulating substrate according to claim 1, wherein the third regions are formed of a silicide metal thin film, which partially contacts the semiconductor thin film.
 9. A field effect transistor formed on an insulating substrate, comprising: an insulating substrate; a semiconductor thin film formed on the insulating substrate; a first gate electrode with a length and a width which is formed on a surface of the semiconductor thin film through a gate insulating film; a first region and a second region having a first conductivity type, which are formed on or in the surface of the semiconductor thin film, and arranged on both sides of the first gate electrode in a length direction thereof as viewed in a plan view; third regions having a reverse conductivity type opposing the first conductivity type which are each arranged so that they are sandwiched between the two second regions in a gate width direction, the second regions comprising a plurality of regions; and a conductive thin film connected with the second and the third regions in common.
 10. A field effect transistor formed on an insulating substrate according to claim 9, wherein a width of the second regions is set as 25 times a channel length or less. 